Train-pipe coupling for railway-coaches.



No. 838,04 3. PATENTED 1130.1 1906.

T. J, MURPHY. TRAIN PIPE-COUPLING FOR RAILWAY COACHES. APPLICATION FILED HOV. 15, 1905.

M'Zrzesses l J 6 Jm/er ztorp- I $4.5 k 15 4 m UNITED STATES PATENT F F I611, THOMAS J. MURPHY, or SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

remwmee oouPLme FOR.RAlLWAY-i30ltOHE-IS..

Application filed November 15, 1905. Serial No. 287.395.

' To ctZl whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. MURPHY, a

. citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useiul Improvements in Train-Pipe Cou hngs for Railway-Coaches, of which the fol owing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved means or device for connecting the hose or pi e of air-brakes, the electric wires, and 0t er parts that require to be connected and disconnected between railway coaches in making up and breaking up a train; and the invention has for its ob ect the production of a simple and effective union-coupling by which all the parts to be coupled and uncoupled between two coaches are united or separated at the same time and by the same movement or operation that couples or uncouples the coaches, thereby reducing both the risk heretofore attending the work of the brakernan and the time and labor of making up or separating a train of coaches.

\ with which it forms a complete coupling device between the two coaches when the same are connected together in making up a train, all as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, herein re ferred to, Figure 1 represents a coupiiug device embodying my invention and suspended in position under the draw-heads ontwo coaches. In this figure the coupling device is represented in generaloutside view, and the floor of the coaches and the running-gear are shown in section. 2 is a side view of the couplinghead on one coach, showing the same in the position it occupies when the two coaches are uncoupled. Fig. 3'is a plan or top view of the coupling device, one of the coupling-hcads and a portion of the adjoining end of the other coupling being shown in section. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, through the two coupling- Specification of Letters Patent.

pled to the front end, where Patented Dec. 11, 1906.

heads. Fig. 5 is a detail, on an enlar ed scale and in a section taken horizonta ly, showing the two outer and adjoining knuckiss on the two coupling-heads inposition for interlocking. 3

In the following description the principal parts are referred to as the coupling-head a and the coupling-head a, constituting the coupling device between two cars or coaches. The adjoining interlocking ends of the two heads are formed or provided with knuckles d (1, se arated by recesses c c', the knuckles on one cad being set in line with the recesses in the o posite head, so that the two heads are inter ocked when they are brought up together from opposite directions.

In the present construction made for connecting two trainip'es or other conductors T T on one coac with corresponding conductors T 'I on the other coach, and a set of electrical conductors E E (indicated in Fig. 3) and the coupling-heads have each a separate channel or passage 6 for each pipe extending through the head from end to end and also a separate channeI-e'for the electric wires. Threaded sockets fin the back of the coupling-head furnish means for connecting the pipes to their respective panels in the head; but other means for se-' curing thepipes to the head could be used such, for example, as the well-known pipe or hose cou ling in which one part screws into or interibcks with the other part. The well-known binding-post it, used in making e ectrical connection, is provided onthe back of the coupling-head 'for connecting the electric wires. The pass a es 5., extending through the head from the en where the pipe is couthe interlocking knuckles are turned at right an les, as, at b", and carried through the side ot the knuckle in one head, so as to coincide with the corresponding passage b in the opposite coi'plinghead, when the knuckles of the two hoa s form a continuous passage through both heads and the interlocking knuckles. A tight joint is secured between the o posing faces of the knuckles that set togetiier when the two heads are interlocked by providing a recess '5 in the face of one provision is.

formed, as seen in Fig. 3, is

i are interlocked: In such position it will be seen that the two ch aenels b b knuckle and a corresponding recess in the face of the other knuckle,in which recesses are fitted two rings 9 g, having inclined faces. An elastic or spring washer it within the reknuckle.

cess behind each rin presses the same outward, so that the inclined face of the rin will stand slightly above the inn r face the A faceplate 7c, sui )undi ng the projecting portion of the ring, confines it in place Within the recess. By virtue of this construction (seen in Figs. 4 and 5) a tight joint is secured between the opposin faces of ,the two knuckles around the channels or pas sagesthatpass through the knuckles at right an les when the two heads are brought toget er. The inclined faces of the parts 9 g are fitted to meet and slide smoothly upon 7 each other, so as to register and brin the pasdraw-heads D of the two coaches come'together in the operation of coupling, so that it 18 not necessary for the brakeman' to go in between the cars to set or regulate the couplingheads. This means consists of a short lever m, workin on a pivot m and having attached to t e end above the pivot a push-rod ,the lower end of the lever being carried rom the pivot m downward, so as to bear against the back of the couplin -head. A coiled spring 1", surrounding a raw-rod s, which is secured to the back of the couplinghead, acts to draw the head back and hold it in position within the line of the front face of the draw-head D. This is the normal position of the couplin -head when one coach is not coupled to anot er.

The push-rod '1), extending forward over the top of the coupling-head, pro'ects beyond the line of the draw-head ,D an stands in a plane with the corresponding push-rod of the opposite head, so that the ends of the two rods make contact and are pressed together as the draw-heads of the two cars being cou ,pled come together. By this -means the push-rods press the couplin -heads into each ot er and cause their knuckl es to interlock at the same time that the cars are coupled. The coupling-heads are suspended from the drawhead 'or the understructure of the car by straps or links t t, attached to the sides of the coupling-head w or they may be supported on 'the car-body, thatwill hold them propcou l-in when the two heads are interlocked.-

' coaches in making up together and provi .erly in 'line and at the same time allow the necessary backward-and-forward play of the 4 'l t epipes and other conductors and parts that require to be coupled between a train can be brought ed with separate passages and channels in a single coupling-head in accordance with my invention, as above described, with many advanta es over the methods heretofore employed of connecting such pipes and accessories by individual cou lings.

I ihving thus described my invention, what, I claim as new, and desire'to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. A train-pi e coupling comprising two coupling-heads aving each a plurality of channels or passages extending through the head from end to end, means: on one end of the head for permanently connecting the train-pipes, knuckles on the opposite end through which the said channels or passages fare carried to the outside, the knuckles on one head being alternately arra'n ed with reference to the knuckles on the ot er head to interlock therewith, the channels or passages in the opposing knuckles being adapted to register and means, independent of the coupling-head for causing the said heads to move into engagement with each other.

2. A train-pipe coupling comprising two coupling-heads each having a lurality of channels or passages extending t erethrough from end to end, means at one end of each of the heads for permanently connecting the train-pipes, knuckles. on the pposite ends through which the said channe s or assages are carried to the outside, the knuck es being arranged to interlock with each other, springs for holding the coupling-heads in retracted position when not con led together, and levers for moving the coup ing-heads together when two cars are coupled, substantially as set forth.

3. In a train-pipe cou ling, the combination of the two couplingeads having each a plurality of channels or passages extending through the head from end to end, means on one end of the head for permanently connecting the train-pipes, knuckles on the opposite end through which the said channels or assages are carried to the outside, the knuc es on one head, being alternately arranged with reference to the knuckles on the other head to interlock therewith, and the channels or passages in the opposing knuckles being adapted to register, and acking-plates in the opposing faces of the nuckles through which the channels or passages in the two heads are brought in communication, the said plates having oppositely-inclined faces.

4. In a train-pipe coupling, tl1e combinabeing correspondingly inclined to on the knuckle of the opposite head.

5. In a train-pipe coupling, the combination of two coupling-heads containing a lurelity of channels or passages exten ing' through the head, means for permanently connecting pipes and other parts to the channels or passages at one end, interlockingknuckles on the opposing ends of the heads through which the channels or passages con.- tinue to the outside, the'knuckles on one con ling-heed being alternately arranged witv reference to the knuckles on the other coupling-head, packing-plates between the opposing faces of the knuckles and means for bringing the two coupling-heads together at the plate I the time of coupling theends of two coaches on which the coupllng-heads are fixed, coniprising a draw-rod attached to each coupling-- head adapted to move in one direction and i. 20 rocking lever and a push-rod attached to the lever and extending in a line with the coupling-head and beyond the front end thereof for moving the site direction. 2 5

covpling-head in the oppo- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name to this pecilication in the presence of two SllbSGIlblllg WIUICSSOS.

THOMAS J. MURPHY. Witnesses Hnoo K. ASHER, Josern A. OBRIEN. 

